This invention relates to an air temperature control assembly for a heating and cooling unit, such as for a recreational vehicle.
An air temperature control is used to monitor and adjust a temperature setting for an air conditioner and heating unit. Because the unit is generally placed in a hard to access location, the control is located away from the unit to provide the opportunity to adjust ambient room temperature from a more convenient location. However, locating the air temperature control away from the air conditioner and heating unit requires the installation of wiring between the control and the unit. For a recreational vehicle, the installation of wiring can be expensive and time consuming. It is therefore preferable to place the air temperature control near the air conditioning and heating unit. For a recreational vehicle, this location presents particular design challenges.
Specifically, an air conditioning and heating unit is generally located on top of the recreational vehicle. This location is inconvenient for a vehicle occupant to adjust air temperature. Some manufacturers have overcome this problem by pairing the air temperature control with a wireless remote control, such as an infrared remote control. The remote control has an infrared transmitter, which the vehicle occupant uses to signal the air temperature control, which has an optical receiver to receive the signal. The control then adjusts the air conditioning and heating unit based on the received signal. However, these manufacturers have failed to develop an air temperature control assembly that facilitates the use of such a remote control with the air temperature control. For example, existing air temperature controls have an optical receiver mounted on the control cover to receive signals from the infrared remote control. This existing design has a limited range of operation. Consequently, existing controls may fail to receive a signal from the remote and respond accordingly. In this event, the vehicle occupant may not know that the air temperature control unit has failed to receive this signal until the vehicle occupant notices that the air temperature in the recreational vehicle has not changed.
In addition, there are times when the remote control may fail, such as when the batteries of the remote control run out. It is therefore important to allow adjustment of the air conditioning and heating unit without the remote control. While controls exist that allow the manual adjustment of air temperature, given the hard to reach location of the air temperature control near the air conditioning and heating unit, it is desirable to allow the vehicle occupant to adjust air temperature quickly and conveniently. It is also desirable to offer this convenient access to the air temperature control without significant additional expense in the manufacture of the air temperature control.
A need therefore exists for an inexpensive air temperature control unit that allows remote control of the air conditioner and heater without the drawbacks associated with existing designs.